JENN McKINLAY: After a three year hiatus, the hat shop crew is back for another madcap adventure. This time it's in a castle (fictional) in Sussex with a dead groom, a diva bride, horrible in-laws, and an endearing bridesmaid.
Why did it take me three years to get another hat shop mystery done? Wellllll...pandemic, life, prior commitments, and just general life stuff. How long until I write another? Honestly, it's looking like 2025, if the stars all line up correctly.
I must admit for me, it's nice to wedge in a hat shop mystery when there's a gap in the schedule. It makes visiting Mim's Whims, the hat shop on Notting Hill, more of a treat than a chore and I think when you have long running series, you have to get creative to keep your enthusiasm high.
How about you, Readers, do you mind if an author takes a longer hiatus to get their next book out? Or do you prefer things to be on a set schedule?
Here's a longer description of the book (to remind you of the characters and whatnot):
Hip hip beret! Hatmakers Scarlett Parker and Vivian Tremont return and must collar a killer when a castle wedding goes awry in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s new Hat Shop Mystery.
It’s wedding season and Viv’s longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the headpieces for her “wedding of the year.” The well-to-do bride and her entourage are delighted to have Viv and Scarlett as their famous hat designer guests, but the hat-making pair are really just looking forward to a getaway at a castle in Sussex. It is to be a weekend full of events, culminating in the big ceremony.
Unfortunately, on the first night of the festivities, the groom is found murdered, and the joyous holiday becomes the stuff of nightmares as no one is allowed to leave the castle until the investigation is complete. Although Scarlett assures Harrison Wentworth, her fiancé, that she and Viv will stay out of harm’s way, circumstances force them to step in when a secret affair between the deceased groom and a bridesmaid comes to light, and the murderer takes another life. Scarlett and Viv vow to unveil the killer’s identity before the wedding adds another to its death toll.
It’s wedding season and Viv’s longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the headpieces for her “wedding of the year.” The well-to-do bride and her entourage are delighted to have Viv and Scarlett as their famous hat designer guests, but the hat-making pair are really just looking forward to a getaway at a castle in Sussex. It is to be a weekend full of events, culminating in the big ceremony.
Unfortunately, on the first night of the festivities, the groom is found murdered, and the joyous holiday becomes the stuff of nightmares as no one is allowed to leave the castle until the investigation is complete. Although Scarlett assures Harrison Wentworth, her fiancé, that she and Viv will stay out of harm’s way, circumstances force them to step in when a secret affair between the deceased groom and a bridesmaid comes to light, and the murderer takes another life. Scarlett and Viv vow to unveil the killer’s identity before the wedding adds another to its death toll.
Happy Book Birthday, Jenn!
ReplyDeleteA castle wedding and a dead groom . . . it’s wonderful to have another hat shop mystery.
As for your question . . . when it’s a series I really enjoy, it’s always hard to wait for the next book. However, I think authors needs to set their schedules by what works best for them. Readers will still be there to read the book whenever it comes out . . . .
Thank you, Joan! I feel the same way.
DeleteHappy book birthday, Jenn!
ReplyDeleteHaving written books myself, including on deadlines, I can't imagine the stress of coming up with plot after plot on demand. And I don't understand people who get irritated that their favorite authors aren't cranking out entertainment for them 24/7.
I'm content to wait.
Happy Book Birthday, Jenn!
ReplyDeleteI can wait for the next book in the series. There's so many books to read.
Congratulations, Jenn. Your fans are dedicated enough to wait.
ReplyDeleteI can be patient when I have to (ahem, Debs and Julia...), because, as Dru says, there are so many books to read.
JENN: Yay, congratulations on the release of the newest Hat Shop mystery!
ReplyDeleteI love to read many series. Some of my fave authors had new books in their series publish 3-5 years after their latest one last year. I eagerly waited for them & it was worth it.
Jenn, I have been known to set aside the book I am reading in favor of the book that just arrived if it is one of yours. But, thanks to JRW and FCF and all the authors I have met since finding you all, well, I have enough books here and on order, to give the library a rest until next January. I think it's okay to tell you that the Hat Shop is my favorite of your series. So, while I do have books to read until 2025, I may get a bit impatient.
ReplyDeleteI cannot allow all the other commenters to be kinder or more polite than I am. Neither can I say, as Karen did, that "I am content to wait."
Congratulations on your book birthday, Jenn.
Congratulations on your newest release, Jenn! For a favourite author, I can dig deep and find some patience. Then, when the book comes out, it is all the sweeter to dive in and enjoy the characters in their newest adventure. (Though I echo Edith's 'ahem...Debs and Julia...')
ReplyDeleteCongrats Jenn--I love this series whenever it arrives! I wonder how hard it is for you to return to the hat shop world after a long break?
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful commitment to the craft. Thank you for giving, and giving, and giving again. Now off to obtain my 'trip to the Hat shop"
ReplyDeleteFor series that I love, I'm pretty sure whatever the author is doing works. So, I can wait. Maybe not patiently, but I know the end result will be worth it.
ReplyDeleteHurray! So excited about this! I have to admit, I have no idea when authors’ books come out :-) I just snap them up when they do. And this sounds absolutely adorable!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Jenn! Sounds like a fun idea. I love elaborate country house weekends (in imagination only, never experienced one) I am willing to wait for years--no worries here. I have no idea how authors doing multiple series keep all the details straight. My hat's off to you!
ReplyDeleteIt isn’t a problem to wait. People have options to read your work while they wait since you have multiple other series or they can re-read past Hat Shops. More than 3 years might be a problem though as people may forget about it, choose to move on, or on the flip side have such impossibly high expectations that the book disappoints.
ReplyDeleteThis installment sounds great and Inlook forward to reading it.
So true Brenda. While I had to wait a the new Library Mystery book by Jenn, I discovered the Hat Shop Mysteries and so glad I did.
DeleteI have definitely experienced the long wait from a favorite authors, and long expectation can make any book less enjoyable. Jenn has several series, so you can always experience her writing in many wonderful different forms. There are several writers with a single series I have not read their latest book because there was just too long of a time gap, There are so many wonderful books to read, unfortunately I do not have time to reorient in a series with any longer than a three year time gap between books. I have moved on after that long of a time interval.
DeleteCongratulations, Jenn! To answer your question, I really don't like waiting for my favorite authors to put out their books. But that is the price we pay for quality stuff, so I'll stop pouting and go about my business. Perhaps I need to work on being more patient.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to let the author set their own pace, rather than expect them to rush anything through. I remember J K Rowling held back on one of the HP series, essentially saying, It will take as long as it takes, because I want it to be right.
ReplyDeleteAnd look at The Testaments...32 years after The Handmaids Tale. :^)
My copy is here. Yippee. The Kindle elves deliver!
ReplyDeleteI love all your series, Jenn... my question is, how do you switch gears? Because to fans like me it seems so effortless and speedy. What is your magic elixir? And do you ever find that characters from one series try to horn their way into another series?
ReplyDeleteJenn, I'm just happy to have another Hat Shop mystery to read! I'm checking every few minutes to see if the post has come with my copy! I adore this crew and their adventures. I'd echo Hallie's question. How do you manage to switch gears between one series and the next? I think I would mix them all up!
ReplyDeleteI prefer a more steady release schedule, but I'm greedy. I will take what I can get. And it's not like you aren't releasing many books in the meantime.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on this release! I enjoyed it.
This is exciting news, Jenn! It’s my favorite of all your series.
ReplyDeleteRationally, I understand why new books in a series don’t get published every six weeks. However, there is that certain immature part of me that gets as impatient for a new book by a favorite author as a child does while waiting for Christmas to come!
I can’t wait to read it!
DebRo
Patience is a virtue and I fear I'm getting less virtuous with time. But having no control over authors and their writing speeds I will just wait patiently.
ReplyDeleteRushing to the airport! Thank you all for sharing my release day joy! I will chime in around the chaos! LOL!
ReplyDeleteSounds fabulous! Safe trip, looking forward to reading this offering.
ReplyDeleteI do love it when series release on a regular basis, but I'm always willing to wait for favorite authors!
Jenn, Fatal Fascinator sounds like a great read. I've just ordered it for my Kindle. When I really love a series, it's so hard to wait even a year for a new book, so a more lengthy wait is even harder. However, I always think of it this way to regain my patience. I want the book to be its best, so if extra time (due to other commitments or just writing reasons) is needed, then so be it. I just don't want my favorite authors to follow the Diana Gabaldon model of time between books. I love the Outlander series, but the years between books is a looooong wait.
ReplyDeleteJenn, Happy Book Release Day!!!
ReplyDeleteYour hat shop series is my favorite because it is set in England. I preordered the ebook and today I was at Barnes and Noble. Found a print copy. there were several copies.
Always willing to wait for my favorite authors and I often reread the books in the series while waiting....
Diana